Libro

MEDIA LITERACY AND INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE
Strategies, Debates and Good Practices
on the side-lines of a Conference on this disease”. Jornal de Notícias, October
2 nd 2011
“Appearing to be "very concerned" with the financial hole of '110 million Euros'
2011 budget for these units that provide support to patients in convalescence
and to people in situation of dependency, the Assistant Secretary of State for
Health, Fernando Leal da Costa, stresses that the complex financial situation
was inherited from the previous Ministry, that now there is 'no money' and we
'must stop and think'. (…) The [long-term care] network will maintain itself and
grow, but within our possibilities”, stated to ‘Público’ Leal da Costa, admitting
simultaneously the possibility of shutting down ‘too small units that are not
viable because they have very high operating costs’. Público, October 14 th 2011
If, as we have said previously, Paulo Macedo speaks briefly to journalists, his
press office provides some clarifications published by newspapers. We often
find Health Ministry’s sources such as “Paulo Macedo’s spokesperson” (Jornal
de Notícias, September 1 st 2011); “press secretary Miguel Vieira” (Público,
October 19 th 2011); “Press Office” (Público, October 20 th 2011).
Faced with situations in which no one assumes the origin of the information,
although there is someone from the Ministry of health that gives certain
information to the media, journalists choose to quote not identified news
sources:
“According to an official source at the Health Ministry, of the 251 doctors in
retirement who have returned to the NHS, just 152 belong to that quota, so
there is still room for about 50 doctors". Jornal de Notícias, July 9 th 2011
“Contact by ‘Jornal de Notícias’, Paulo Macedo’s Press Office said that the
meanwhile resigned Administration claimed only personal reasons and that the
other members of the Administration have not submitted resignation”. Jornal de
Notícias, September 28 th 2011
Politicians are not indifferent to their presence in the media. They know that part
of their notoriety is played in media stages. And if there are those who strive to
be always on the scene, featuring positive events, there are some others that
deviate to avoid bad news. There are those who are more skilled and those who
do not have the means to manage a balanced relationship with journalists;
There are those who want to talk permanently, eager for a visibility that, when in
excess, blinds; and there are those who run away from any quote in a medium,
fearing the adverse effects that often are brought by a news piece. In recent
years, Ministers who could fit in different profiles conducted the Health Ministry.
In 2008, António Correia de Campos would resign from his position as Health
Minister, leaving behind a communication strategy that had hoped to promote
open channels of communication with journalists. In times of crisis, as were
those in the end of his term, this option would have been fatal. Any statement
from him, looking to neutralize a controversy had the opposite effect: it would
increase the objection towards him, already growing among the population and
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